The Great Plains Ratsnake, Pantherophis emoryi Baird & Girard, 1853, (Squamata: Colubridae), a new state record from Aguascalientes, México

Abstract

Abstract:We report an adult male specimen of the snake Pantherophis emoryi from xerophytic scrub habitat in the Municipality of Real de Asientos, Aguascalientes, México. This specimen represents the first state record of P. emoryi from Aguascalientes and extends the known distribution of the species 107 km in a straight line west-northwest from the nearest previous record. Our specimen was found in habitat that is under heavy agricultural pressure, and recently, threatened by mining. This may indicate that other Chihuahuan Desert taxa may be found in this area. crop and livestock production, and also threatened by mining. This and other recent herpetofaunal findings in the arid zone of Aguascalientes suggest that additional species typical of the Chihuahuan Desert may be found in this area. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSWe thank J. Jesus Sigala Rodríguez for comments on previous draft of this note and for information provided.

BEYOND MYTHS: REDISCOVERY OF THE WESTERN DIAMONDBACK RATTLESNAKE Crotalus atrox (BAIRD & GIRARD, 1853) IN THE MEXICAN STATE OF OAXACA AFTER A SPAN OF 79 YEARS

“…The Western Diamondback Rattlesnake Crotalus atrox (Baird & Girard, 1853) is a large snake that can exceed 180 cm in total length (Campbell & Lamar, 2004). Dorsal coloration normally ranges from greyish to brown, but some organisms show greenish, yellowish, or reddish tones.…”

“…(Campbell & Lamar, 2004;Ernst & Ernst, 2012). In Mexico, the distribution covers the states of Aguascalientes, Baja California, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Guanajuato, Nuevo León, Querétaro, San Luis Potosí, Sonora, Tamaulipas, and Zacatecas, with isolated populations in Hidalgo, Jalisco, Veracruz, and Oaxaca (Campbell & Lamar, 2004;Quintero-Díaz & Carbajal-Márquez, 2017;Fernández-Badillo et al, 2011;Villalobos-Juárez & Sigala-Rodríguez, 2019). The species can also be found on some islands in the Gulf of California (García-Padilla et al, 2018).…”